Traditional media distribution systems such as broadcasting lack the ability to effectively characterize and respond to consumer preferences in order to provide customized media content, namely content that includes targeted advertising or marketing material directed to interests of a particular user. In other words, conventional broadcasting does not account for situations where different viewers have different interests, and thus, their preferences with respect to programming and information differ vastly. For example, some viewers may want to watch sports broadcasting while other viewers may prefer a different genre (e.g. home improvement, historical fact based programs, etc.).
Furthermore, due to geographic location, some viewers may not be interested in certain media content. For example, a particular advertisement for local services may be suitable for viewers living in the geographic area served by the advertiser, but may not be suitable for viewers living in a different area.
Currently, there are no standardized methods to specify how viewers might customize their viewing preferences with respect to the content and services they receive. Existing systems may typically filter out program content based on viewer preference settings established in the receiver by the manufacturer of that receiver, with no input from the service provider as to the types of filtering criteria that might be suitable for the particular service.
Also, service providers do not have access to the viewer preference settings, and thus are unable to directly tailor the user's experience of the service based on those settings. Yet, even if service providers had access to viewer preferences, there is no mechanism that is configured to avoid redundant inquiries to learn about the viewer's preferences, as different service providers may solicit the same information through different, but highly similar inquiries.